Chapter 18: Fear Factor
Three mostly uneventful days passed. After the storm, they were all rather clear, but there was no telling when it would rain again--it was still the rainy season, after all. A visit was scheduled by Princess Celestia today, and the town was more active than usual to prepare for it. Despite it being little more than a casual visit, the townsponies were, of course, frantic to make everything spic and span. Twilight and Spike were walking through town, checking up on the preparations. They seemed to be coming along very nicely, but there were a few things left to check up on--such as the food.
"I can't help but feel like this is a bit familiar," Spike said as he and Twilight made their way to Sugar Cube Corner. "Borderline deja vu, even."
"Of course it feels familiar," Twilight replied. "The Princess makes casual visits pretty often. We have to make sure everything is accounted for when she decides to drop in on us. And as far as I'm concerned, it's my responsibility to make sure we show her a good time."
"Yeah...and I suppose there's no way it can go worse than last time." Spike rolled his eyes. "I still can't believe they were practicing ice archery in the park that day."
"Well, here we are!" Twilight smiled at the bakery's characteristic design. "Let's just check on things really quick and move on. We're on a tight schedule."
Twilight knocked on the door, and after a few seconds, Mr. Cake answered. Apparently there had been a bit of a mishap--his mane was utterly saturated with pink frosting. "H-hello, your Highness! What can we do for you?"
"Just making sure Pinkie isn't eating all the food again," Twilight replied.
"Oh, don't worry about that--we sent her out this time. We've mostly got everything prepared, but we're still finishing up one little thing."
"I don't know if I'd call the Madness 'little,' dear," Mrs. Cake piped up from inside.
Spike's eyes lit up, and he smiled. "You mean the Marzipan Mascarpone Meringue Madness? The masterfully made mixture of mouth-melting flavors that makes your stomach murmur with mirth?"
"...Yes, that's the one..." Mr. Cake cleared his throat. "We found out that Princess Celestia never actually got to try it during the National Dessert Competition, so we're making another one. It should be ready in about twenty more minutes, plus however long it takes to assemble it."
"Oh, um, Princess Twilight?" Mrs. Cake called. "If you see Pinkie while you're out, could you tell her to bring some eggs back with her? After this, we don't have enough left to make much of anything."
"Sure thing," Twilight replied with a nod. "Well, I'll leave you to it. C'mon, Spike."
Twilight started walking away, but soon she saw that Spike wasn't following her. She turned back towards the bakery to find that Spike was practically hypnotized--he had a glazed look in his eyes, and a river of drool flowed freely from his mouth. She rolled her eyes and put him on her back.
About an hour later, Twilight and Spike had finished checking up on everything. Ponyville was officially ready for Princess Celestia's visit, and now the only thing left to do was wait at the outskirts of town where she usually arrived. They were both laying down, but Spike was noticeably less pleased with their situation.
"Yeah, this is boring," Spike said. He picked up a pebble from the ground and tossed it into the air, then spat a fireball at it.
"You should've brought something with you," Twilight replied. She turned the page in the book she was reading, which pertained to the history of the Equestria Games.
"Well, I thought we'd be going back to the library when we were done." Spike burned up another small rock. "...Why didn't we, exactly?"
"Because we have to be here to welcome Princess Celestia personally. You know how this goes."
"Uhh...yeah, I guess. I just wish she'd hurry up and get here already."
As if in response, the two of them heard a royal fanfare. They both got up, with Spike being in much higher spirits.
"I can't believe that worked! Okay, okay...I wish for a hundred bits!" Spike exclaimed.
"It was just a coincidence," Twilight replied.
A few seconds later, two royal guards landed, towing Princess Celestia on her personal chariot. The larger-than-life alicorn dismounted, and the two princesses bowed to each other.
"It's so good to see you again, Twilight," Celestia said. As always, her voice was both powerful and enchanting. "And you as well, Spike."
"Likewise," Spike replied. "We've been looking forward to your visit."
"So...if you don't mind me asking, where are your friends? I expected them to be here as well."
"They're at Sugar Cube Corner with everypony else," Twilight explained. "We all know how much you like that place."
Celestia laughed briefly and nodded. She gestured to the royal guards, and everyone present started walking towards town again. "I mean no offense to the chefs in my own employ, but I've yet to meet a pony who can bake better than the Cakes...and it's not just the food I enjoy, either."
"Yeah, I know what you mean," Spike said with a chuckle. "Whenever Pinkie's around, the service turns into a comedy act."
"Well, they've prepared something special for you this time around," Twilight added. "I think you're in for a pleasant surprise, Princess."
The gathering at Sugar Cube Corner was a resounding success. Celestia had been overjoyed to find the Madness that the Cakes had whipped up (and she was even happier to find that Pinkie hadn't gotten to it first). In addition, this visit was the first in which the townsponies actually let themselves relax--Celestia had made it clear last time that they should just be themselves, and that she wouldn't be offended no matter what they did. Even so, something was missing that Twilight couldn't place.
"Mr. Cake, I don't mean to impose, but could I possibly ask for the recipe that you used to make this cake?" Celestia asked. "I'd love to have my own bakers try to make it for the Grand Galloping Gala."
Mr. Cake frowned. "My humblest apologies, your highness...but it's a closely guarded recipe. We only share it with family members. It's been our tradition ever since there were Cakes to practice it."
"Say no more." Celestia smiled gently. "I understand completely."
"Thank you, Princess."
"It's the least I can do for your wonderful hospitality."
Rainbow Dash suddenly flew in through the window and screeched to a halt just before slamming straight into Bon Bon. "No wayward clouds," she announced.
"Thank goodness," Rarity said. "It would be such a shame were there anything other than a sunny sky."
"Tell me about it," Applejack chimed in. "'Specially since the shady spots're only just now gettin' dry from the storm."
After that, the party continued unabated. Twilight still felt that something was out of place, but she couldn't figure out what it was for the life of her. She felt like whatever it was, it was on the tip of her tongue. Eventually, she noticed Fluttershy walking over to her and tried to put on a happy face.
"Twilight?" Fluttershy asked hesitantly.
"Hi, Fluttershy. Are you having fun?" Twilight asked hastily. She smiled nervously and looked around to see if anyone else was listening.
"Well, yes...but...what about you? You seem troubled."
"Troubled? Me? Of course not!" Twilight laughed nervously. "I'm just fine, really!"
Fluttershy's look of concern didn't waver for even a fraction of a second.
"...Okay, fine, you got me." Twilight dropped the facade and took another look around. "Everything is going well, but something seems...off. Do you feel it too?"
"Sort of," Fluttershy replied. She rubbed her hooves nervously. "I can't place it, but...it feels like we're forgetting something."
A moment of silence hung between them. Twilight broke it by clearing her throat. "So how's your leg doing?"
Fluttershy smiled. "It's all better now! All this time I was worried that there might be lasting damages."
Twilight smiled, but at the same time, she remembered something that Igor had told her. "Once Fluttershy's leg is fully healed, that will bring with it a call to arms..."
"What do you mean by that?"
Twilight jumped. "Oh, uh...did I say that out loud?"
Fluttershy nodded. "What kind of call to arms, though?"
Twilight thought about it for a moment. "I'm not sure yet...I need to go talk to Rainbow."
"All right, then. Talk to you later!"
Twilight nodded and turned around. Rainbow Dash was eating a salad in what was probably the messiest fashion that Twilight had ever witnessed. She grit her teeth, however, and walked over to her. Rainbow looked up from her food and smiled as she approached.
"Hi, Twilight. What's up?" Rainbow asked.
"Can I get you to do something for me?" Twilight asked.
"Sure. Whatcha got?"
Twilight leaned in to whisper. "I need you to go check the weather schedule."
Rainbow looked a bit perplexed. "Uh...sure, okay. I'll be back soon." She stood up and took off, flying out the same window through which she had entered. She only just missed Bon Bon, who sighed in exasperation.
"Is everything all right?" Celestia asked.
"I'm not sure yet," Twilight replied. "It depends on what Rainbow finds out."
No one seemed to let Rainbow's departure foul their mood, and the party went on just like normal. After a few minutes, Spike finished eating a slice of the Madness. "Man, it's too bad that Pinkie is missing out on all this," he said. "She would love it for sure."
With that, Twilight suddenly realized what was missing from the party. Her eyes widened, and she suddenly ran across the room, stopping in front of Mr. Cake. "Can I talk to you for a second?" she asked frantically.
Mr. Cake looked a bit surprised. "Pardon me, your Highness...what do you need?"
Twilight's panic only intensified as she took in another breath. "Where's Pinkie Pie?!" she demanded, asking much more forcefully than she had intended to.
Mr. Cake's eyes widened as he realized the same thing Twilight had. "Sh-she hasn't come back yet...I was so busy that I didn't even notice."
Suddenly, Rainbow flew back into the building. Bon Bon dove to the left, but she only ended up flying into Rainbow's path. Both ponies slammed into the wall. Rainbow recovered almost immediately and brandished a clipboard. "I brought it!" she yelled.
Twilight ran over and snatched the clipboard from Rainbow's hooves. She looked at the current date and saw that clear skies were scheduled. She looked towards the next two days. Tomorrow was also clear...and the day after would bring light showers. She put her hoof to her chest and performed the breathing exercise that Cadence taught her, calming her down somewhat. She turned to the guest of honor. "Princess Celestia, something's come up. We need to go."
"We do?" Applejack asked.
"Yes. Yes, we do."
"Hmm...what happened?" Celestia asked. "Is it anything I can help with?"
"Nah, we can handle it," Rainbow replied, waving her hoof dismissively. "We might even be back before the party's over, if all goes well."
Celestia still looked concerned, but she didn't try to stop them. "Very well. Whatever it is you're about to do, please be careful."
"Don't worry, Princess." Twilight gestured to the others, and they all left the bakery. As soon as the door closed behind them, Twilight lead them towards the old castle.
"What's goin' on, exactly?" Applejack asked.
"Take a look at this," Twilight replied. She used her magic to hold up the weather report so that the others could see it. "Two days from now, it's going to rain. I don't think it's a coincidence that Pinkie didn't show up for the party."
"Jeez...what is this guy's beef with us?" Spike asked indignantly. "If we didn't stop working on the case after Applejack, what makes him think he's gonna have more success if he takes Pinkie?"
"Maybe...he has another reason?" Rarity offered. "Though I cannot imagine what that reason could possibly be..."
"We'll worry about that later!" Rainbow yelled as she flew above the others. She slammed her hooves together. "Let's go beat up a Shadow!"
The other world felt different went the group entered, but no one could say how. It was only a few seconds before Rainbow found the newest addition: a gigantic circus tent that exuded a highly foreboding atmosphere, despite the upbeat carnival music playing from within.
"I don't like this," Spike said nervously. "It feels like a ghost story...a LOT like a ghost story."
"Oh, don't tell me you're afraid of the old 'creepy clown' cliche!" Rainbow exclaimed as she flew over to the tent's entrance.
"It's not really that...it's just that the jump scares really surprise me, and I tend to accidentally burn things when I'm surprised. You guys are lucky you don't have such volatile body functions."
Rainbow didn't reply again, instead focusing on the task at hand. She opened the tent flap, and the interior of the tent was clearly visible...if not for the inky darkness that smothered any possibly visible details.
"Looks like we have visitors!" a familiar, warped voice exclaimed. "Let's make sure they get a WARM WELCOME!"
"Get back, Rainbow!" Applejack yelled. Rainbow complied, and the group summoned their Personas as Shadows began pouring out of the tent. Some looked like oversized hands, while others looked like hyperactive UFOs with cannons situated on top of the fuselage.
Rainbow landed beside Applejack. "Hey AJ, I have a fun idea," she said.
Applejack rolled her eyes. "Can't ya take this seriously, Rainbow Dash? We're kinda fightin' fer our lives here."
"Yeah, but hear me out! Why don't the two of us take care of these guys ourselves and see who can beat more?"
"That sounds ridiculous and risky. No deal."
A sly look crept onto Rainbow's face. "Well, it's cool if you don't want to...chicken."
Applejack's eyes widened, then narrowed into a fierce glare. "Oh, it's ON."
The others stood back as Hayabusa and Stonewall took point. "Knew you'd see it my way," Rainbow said smugly.
Applejack smirked, and Stonewall suddenly stopped floating. As she landed, the entire world shook with the force of the impact, causing the Shadows to recoil in fear. Hayabusa and Stonewall took the opportunity to charge into the crowd. Hayabusa tore through every Shadow in sight, making her way through them in record time. Stonewall, on the other hand, didn't even lift a finger--Shadows attacked her relentlessly, but everything they tried simply bounced off onto other Shadows. This was so effective that the two competing Personas seemed to be completely even.
"Can't say I was expecting that to work," Rainbow said.
"Jus' you wait til Ah get serious," Applejack replied.
Stonewall suddenly stopped where she was. As another hand-shaped Shadow rushed towards her, she grabbed it in the air and smashed it into the ground. She took a giant step forward, crushing a UFO Shadow underfoot. As another UFO flew towards her, she grabbed it by the cannon and used it as a weapon, defeating five other Shadows with it before it faded itself. Not to be outdone, Hayabusa emerged from the other side of the crowd and turned back towards them. She leaped back into the crowd, and just before she would have hit a Shadow, she started rapidly spinning, becoming a whirlwind of claws and talons. This process kept on until only a few Shadows remained. Stonewall suddenly leaped into the air towards them. She landed in the center with a cataclysmic crash, landing on one of the hands. A shockwave of fiery energy erupted from the point of impact, consuming and pulverizing every Shadow that was left.
"Whew! That was AWESOME!" Rainbow yelled. "So, uh...who won?"
"Beats me...Ah lost count of how many I beat. How 'bout you?" Applejack asked.
"Heh heh...same here."
The others rejoined Rainbow and Applejack. "That was pretty cool to watch," Spike said. "But...does anypony have an idea on how we're gonna see through the darkness here?"
"Let me try something," Fluttershy said. Naravirala spread her wings, and her feathers lit up with bright flames. She entered the tent by herself, and the fire managed to light up a tiny portion of the tent's interior. It wasn't much, but it would have to do. The others entered.
"Hello?" Twilight called. "Pinkie Pie?...Shadow?"
There was no response. The group walked further into the tent, but it wasn't long before they heard a loud slam behind them. Everyone turned to the source of the sound to find that the exit was closed.
"T...Twilight?" Pinkie asked wearily. "Is...that you?"
"Pinkie!" Rainbow exclaimed. "It's all right! We're here for you!"
"W-wait...please, don't come any closer..."
"What're ya talkin' about, sugar cube?" Applejack asked. "We're here ta rescue ya!"
"N-no! Please, stay back! STAY BACK!"
Before anyone could respond, Pinkie's voice trailed off into a terrified scream. "I don't think she's talking to us anymore," Spike said. Everyone sprinted at top speed towards the sound of the voice.
Fluttershy suddenly screeched to a halt. The others stopped as well just before hitting her and turned towards her with concerned looks. Fluttershy's eyes stared past them, looking at something with pure, abject terror.
"Fluttershy, what's the matter?" Rarity asked. "What are you staring at?"
Fluttershy said nothing. She shakily raised a hoof and pointed it towards what currently held her attention. The others turned towards it and recoiled in horror.
Though the light from Naravirala's flames wasn't enough to pierce the darkness very far, the group could still tell exactly what they were looking at. It was Pinkie Pie...hanging by her neck from a noose.
"PINKIE PIE!" Rainbow screamed. Hayabusa flew up and above Pinkie's lifeless body, slashing through the rope. Before Pinkie could hit the ground, Hayabusa descended again and caught her, putting her down gently in front of the others. Everyone stared at her in disbelief and despair.
"Th-this can't be happening," Twilight whispered. Her vision grew blurry as tears stung her eyes.
"Ah...Ah can't look," Applejack said. She turned around and put her hat over her chest.
"Why...?" Rarity collapsed where she stood, holding back sobs. "The Shadow...isn't supposed to kill the host until the rain comes..."
Spike dropped to his knees and slammed his fist into the ground. "That Shadow...is gonna pay for this!"
Suddenly, Pinkie's eyes opened. However, they weren't their usual sky blue color--instead, they were an all-too-familiar shade of sickly yellow. As soon as everyone noticed that she was up and about, she stood up and sneered at them. "That...was satisfying."
The darkness lifted from the tent almost immediately, allowing everyone to see everything around them. The inside of the tent was quite a bit smaller than it looked from outside, only just having enough room to fit the crowd of Shadows that had flooded out. In addition to Shadow Pinkie, the group could see the real Pinkie only a few feet away, looking on in horror. The look in her eyes suggested that she had seen everything that had happened.
"You...unbelievable piece of TRASH!" Rainbow flew up to the Shadow and drew back her hoof, preparing to punch the Shadow in the face. However, her swing only met air as the Shadow faded into the air. She reappeared next to Pinkie, causing her to take a step back.
"Fear...despair...these things are all you feel when you're alone," the Shadow said. She turned towards Pinkie Pie. "That's why you have so many friends, isn't it? If there's always somepony to be around, you never have to feel that way."
"Th-that's not..." Pinkie's eyes widened in fear. "Please..."
"The truth is, you're so afraid of what you might do if you're alone for too long that you try and surround yourself at all times! And no matter what, it's never enough, is it?"
Pinkie shook her head and backed up more. "I-I..."
"Everyone is your friend...because if you make tons of friends, you'll be happy! The more the merrier, right?" Shadow Pinkie walked towards her host as she backed away. "Just admit it...I know it's the truth. It's a bit tough to hide things from yourself."
"Wh-what are you saying...?"
"What, you didn't figure it out already?" Shadow Pinkie's malevolent smile grew. "I am you. You should really know that by now."
Pinkie's eyes widened further. She stopped backing up. "N-no...no! If you were me, you'd never do things like that to my friends! There's no way you're part of me!"
The instant Pinkie was done talking, Shadow Pinkie started laughing. She rose into the air as red mist surrounded her. "You sound so very frightened...you know how it goes in these scenarios, right? EVERYPONY DIES!"
The red mist fully consumed Shadow Pinkie. Instead of exploding, however, it only grew and warped. Once it was the size of the castle that had been on Shadow Applejack's back, three giant tentacles burst from each side, each tipped with a wicked silver blade. Two more tentacles appeared at the top of the cloud of mist and curled towards each other, forming what appeared to be the shape of a heart. Finally, an enormous eye of many colors opened on the front of the Shadow.
"I am a Shadow...the true self." Shadow Pinkie blinked once and stared down at her host. "I can taste your fear...and it is exquisite. I'm going to make you scream!"
"Well, here we go again," Twilight said. "Let's get this done quick!"
Each of the Personas save Stonewall attacked at the same time--Merlin and Xanthias with purple blasts, Hayabusa with a whirlwind, Naravirala with a fireball, and Jack of Clubs with an icicle spear. However, despite all of the attacks landing, they all seemed to fade into the mist, not doing any visible damage. The Shadow laughed maniacally as she turned towards the attackers.
"I want to see you suffer," Shadow Pinkie said. The two upper tentacles threw themselves skyward, and a huge column of lightning slammed down onto Hayabusa. Rainbow collapsed immediately. Jack of Clubs flew over and put his hand on her back, healing her wounds. As Rainbow stood up again, the Shadow looked almost intrigued.
"What, is that all you've got?" Rainbow asked. "It's gonna take a lot more than that!"
The Shadow didn't respond. Instead, she stared at Rarity and Rainbow in turn, as if studying them. She looked towards the others as well before curling up her tentacles over her eye defensively.
"Ah'll break through it!" Applejack yelled. Stonewall flew up and drew back her fist. As she got to the Shadow's height, she noticed that she watched her with a piercing gaze. Nevertheless, she slammed her fist into the tentacles, causing them to return to their normal positions. Shadow Pinkie sent her flying with a fiery blast, but Merlin stopped her before she could hit the ground. Meanwhile, Naravirala healed Applejack after Stonewall got back into a favorable position.
"I see...you all fight to support each other. You draw strength from each other's company." Shadow Pinkie's calculating expression was replaced with what appeared to be a confident sneer. "I wonder...what would happen if I took that away from you?"
The Shadow suddenly launched its six tentacles towards the ponies. Before anyone could react, one tentacle had impaled each of Twilight's friends--not even Pinkie was spared. Each of Twilight's friends collapsed, but they were still conscious. They tried to choke out words, but they couldn't speak.
"NO!" Twilight screamed. She ran over to Spike and tried to use her magic to pull out the tentacle, but it wouldn't budge. She attempted to use her hooves and even her teeth, but to no avail. Even so, she knew that Spike was still alive, and somehow she just knew that the Shadow was going to drag out his death as long as she could.
"It's your turn next," Shadow Pinkie said menacingly. Twilight turned to the Shadow to see that she had charged a hollow orb of purple energy between her upper tentacles. Twilight mentally commanded Merlin to attack it, but there was no response. She tried again, but nothing happened. She turned to Merlin to see that he was slowly fading away from the bottom up.
"N-not you too!" Twilight pleaded. "You can't leave now! Not when I need you the most!"
Twilight's pleas fell on deaf ears. Within a few more seconds, Merlin was gone completely. Tears threatened to overflow from Twilight's eyes as the gravity of her situation set in.
"Farewell!" the Shadow boomed. Twilight heard a noise behind her, but everything went black before she could turn around.
For a few seconds, Twilight thought that she'd been knocked unconscious. Then she realized that if she could think anything at all, that probably wasn't the case, so the theory was quickly rejected. Not only that, but she could move. She looked around in all directions, but nothing was there--just darkness. She couldn't even see what was below her, leading her to wonder what she was standing on. "Am I...dead?" she asked.
"Not yet," the Shadow's voice replied. "But you will be in due course."
Twilight recoiled in surprise as a smaller version of Shadow Pinkie's eye opened directly in front of her. Her surprise was quickly replaced with fury. She took a few steps back and fired a beam of magic energy at the eye, but it only faded into the darkness.
"Don't waste your energy," the Shadow said. "You can't touch me, and you know it as well as I do."
Despite Twilight's intense fear, she glared at the eye. "So you're here to finish me off, then? Fine. Just do it."
"You've never been a good actress, Twilight." The eye began to orbit Twilight, as if trying to keep her from escaping. "I can feel your fear. It has a distinct woodsy flavor to it."
"Just be quiet! I don't care what you have to say."
"Oh, but you do. For I'm only here to tell you one thing..." The eye lit up with morbid glee. "I'm not done with your friends."
"Wh...what?"
"Their injuries aren't fatal. I wouldn't let it end that simply...oh, no. I plan to torture them individually...while none of them can fight back. None of them shall be spared."
Twilight shook her head. "Y-you're bluffing!"
"What, forgetting what you've learned? Aren't you supposed to be searching for the truth? It's right here in front of you!" The Shadow's joy only grew. "And do you know what they see right now? They see you and your Persona...standing there and doing nothing. Just watching them die."
Despite her attempts to stay strong, Twilight's glare faltered. "Stop...lying to me!"
"What reason would I have to lie?...One at a time, your friends will meet their fate...and they will believe that you let it happen. Nothing will be left for you, even in the afterlife...only then will I allow you to die."
"Why...why are you doing this?!" Twilight demanded as tears flowed down her cheeks.
The eye closed partially as the Shadow's voice chuckled. "You feel fear, don't you? Fear...despair...and anger. The most intense of each that you've ever felt in all your days, no less! That is what I am...fear."
Before Twilight could respond again, the eye closed completely. She stood there for a few seconds, her jaw hanging open. She found that her legs could no longer support her, and she broke down.
Time passed. Each second dragged on for what seemed like hours. Twilight had no idea what was happening on the other side, or when her own death was coming. She thought she felt madness set in at some point, but she couldn't be certain.
After what seemed like a century, a thought finally occurred to Twilight. "What if...I kill myself?" she asked no one. "Then...what they see in the afterlife will contradict what they saw here. We can still be friends on the other side, if nothing else..."
Maybe Twilight had gone mad after all.
Another century seemed to pass before the eye returned. It seemed stronger than it had before. "It's your turn next, Princess," it said menacingly.
However long it had been, it was enough time for Twilight to accept her own demise. She stood up and looked at the eye sadly. "I know."
From random points in the darkness, the Shadow's six bladed tentacles entered. They slowly crept towards Twilight, but she didn't scream or try to run. She stood up straight, closed her eyes, and waited for the end.
But the end never came.
"What...what's this interference?" Shadow Pinkie asked. Twilight opened a curious eye to find that the air (if there was any) was shimmering between herself and the eye. Both eyes opened with shock as a ball of blue energy appeared there, and then were forced closed as a blinding flash erupted from it. When the light cleared, standing between the eye and Twilight was none other than Princess Luna.
"BEING OF DARKNESS!" Luna bellowed in the Royal Canterlot Voice. "RELEASE THESE PONIES AT ONCE!"
The eye didn't obey, and only narrowed in anger. "I suppose you think that extra volume makes you think you're intimidating."
Princess Luna didn't respond with words. Instead, she flapped her wings, rising into the air as her horn and eyes glowed with magic energy. A huge stream of lightning arced from her horn, hitting the eye directly. To Twilight's surprise, it actually worked--the eye growled in rage and faded into the darkness, taking the six tentacles with it. Luna turned around and landed in front of Twilight.
"Princess Luna...what's going on?" Twilight asked.
"That shadowy being trapped you and your friends in a nightmare," Luna explained. "It is not too late. I will assist you in breaking the curse."
"A-a nightmare?! But...it seems so real!"
"It is not a natural nightmare, I assure you...but still, nothing I was unable to handle." Princess Luna's horn glowed again, this time with softer light. "My sister awaits your waking, but do not be alarmed. She only followed you out of concern. Just know this...your friends are still alive."
Luna touched her horn to Twilight's forehead before she could respond. Where everything had been dark, it was now blindingly bright. When the light faded, Twilight was standing where she had been before the Shadow attacked her. She saw that her friends appeared to have just woken up, and she guessed that she had as well. As if that wasn't enough, Merlin was also beside her again. Even if she couldn't express it due to the circumstances, the joy she felt was nearly overwhelming.
She was snapped back to reality when she saw that the entire circus tent was on fire.
The group turned to where the Shadow had been to find that she was currently facing down Princess Celestia. The Shadow looked the same, but Celestia was barely recognizable. Where her mane and tail were normally gentle auroras, they were currently streams of blue fire. Her coat had changed color, going from pure white to a fiery orange. Her wings were spread to their full length, and each of her feathers were alight with flames as well. Even her eyes were on fire--fire so intense that it blocked out any view of her eyes. Just as the group took in the sight, Celestia fired a massive beam of orange light that fully consumed the Shadow. To their amazement, the Shadow screamed in pain and shrunk a great deal. Celestia let up after a few seconds, after which it took a moment to recover.
"Just...what are you...?" the Shadow asked, staring at the Princess weakly.
"My identity is no concern of yours!" Celestia boomed. Even her voice was laced with flame's fury. "You have endangered my subjects, and that was your last mistake! Now yield, or I will not hold back next time!"
Shadow Pinkie scoffed in response. She aimed her upper tentacles at Celestia, trapping her within a huge block of ice. Before it could savor the victory, however, the ice shattered violently. Twilight managed to put up a barrier to protect herself and her friends from the shrapnel. Without saying anything more, Celestia fired another orange beam at the Shadow. The Shadow writhed in agony until its tentacles finally receded into the mist. Its eye closed only a second later, and only then did Celestia cease her assault. The mist dispersed, and there Shadow Pinkie was in her pony form. Hayabusa flew over and caught her as she fell. Celestia's horn glowed once more as it prepared to finish off the Shadow once and for all.
"PRINCESS!" Twilight yelled. Celestia blinked in surprise and turned towards her. "It's all right now. She's harmless!"
Princess Celestia descended a bit as Hayabusa flew back towards the group with the Shadow in tow. "Are you certain?" she asked.
Twilight nodded. "Trust me."
Celestia hesitated for a moment, but she smiled and nodded. She returned to her normal appearance and landed a few feet away. "Very well. I will stand by."
Hayabusa gently put the Shadow down in front of Pinkie, who sighed deeply as the Shadow looked up at her with tired eyes. "I...was confused," Pinkie said. "I know that Shadows don't lie...but what you were doing seemed a bit extreme, even by Shadow standards. But...I suppose it does make sense. You were obsessed with fear, just like I was...just like I am. You were right all along...that's why I make so many friends."
"It's all right," Fluttershy said. "We all know how much you actually care about us."
"Yeah, what she said!" Rainbow exclaimed. "And if that's the case, then does it really matter what your reasoning was?"
Pinkie smiled at the others. "Thank you all for helping me...I'm sorry I put you through this." She suddenly grabbed her Shadow's midsection and hoisted her into the air. "You were right, you meanie-pants! You really are me!"
The Shadow giggled a bit before glowing with white light. When that faded, she had transformed into a pink fairy that was about the size of a basketball. She had solid blue eyes, small arms and legs, and a red heart pattern on her stomach. Four tiny insect wings buzzed on her back, and she had two hair buns on her head that were separated by another red heart. She quickly turned into an Arcana card that depicted a sand-colored sun with a human face in front of a background with varying shades of red and orange. The card faded into the air, bathing Pinkie with blue light.
"She's adorable!" Fluttershy exclaimed. "What's her name?"
Pinkie turned towards the others. "Aurora...her name's Aurora."
Princess Celestia walked towards the group and cleared her throat. Everyone turned towards her. "I do hope there's a good explanation for all of this," she said.
"There is," Twilight replied. "But we shouldn't talk here. This world isn't made for ponies."
"The library, then. We'll meet up there. Is that all right?"
Everyone nodded. "That sounds like a great idea," Rainbow said.
Princess Celestia listened intently as each pony (and dragon) recounted their personal experiences in the other world. As they told more and more of the story, their respective sides of it began to culminate into a very clear and coherent explanation. Not only Celestia was learning, however--the earlier parts of the story brought to light details that the others weren't there for, putting everyone on the same page. As the explanation started winding down, Celestia seemed to understand more and more with every word she listened to.
"And then you saved us," Twilight said. "That just about wraps it all up. You saw the rest with your own eyes, after all."
Celestia took a deep breath before speaking. "This is a great deal to process...you have all been through so much together." A warm smile spread across her muzzle. "It is good that you've all learned a valuable lesson...each in your own way."
"Which lesson?" Rainbow asked. "It feels like there've been tons of 'em."
"Everypony has a bad side...but it does not define who we are. That is the lesson I'm referring to...and what a valuable lesson it is."
"I just wish we had all learned it before this ordeal," Rarity said. "Had we done so, we never would have needed saving."
"By the way, Princess...why exactly did you follow us?" Twilight asked. "It seems...a bit strange."
"True, but you have to remember that it was strange to me that you left so hastily. I wanted to know what you were hiding...but I never would have imagined that it was something like this....Why did you hide it from me? I could have offered assistance, or at least sent a few more guards to Ponyville..."
"That's part of the problem right there," Spike said. "If any royals get in on this other than Twilight, it's probably gonna cause some widespread panic."
"We also have found that the magic in that world is radically different than our own," Rarity added. "If knowledge of that world were made public...ponies would either try to study the magic or just go to see the world with their own eyes. They would all be putting themselves at extreme risk in doing so."
"Honestly, Ah'm surprised ya didn't know about all this already," Applejack said thoughtfully. "The book we used to enter the other world was in yer own private library, after all."
"The castle has been abandoned for generations. The book was probably placed there so that it would be hidden...but no matter who put it there, I can assure you that I know nothing of its origin."
"Hmm...well there goes a lead," Rainbow muttered. "What about Princess Luna, though? How did she even know what happened to us?"
"To be honest, I had no idea that she was involved before you told me. She can just sense when a pony has a nightmare. It's part of her royal duty." Celestia stood up. "You have my gratitude for bringing this issue to my attention...but I'm afraid I must return to Canterlot at once."
"We understand," Fluttershy said. "You'll keep this a secret, won't you?"
"Fear not. Your secret is safe with me." Celestia smiled again. "Send my regards to all of Ponyville for their wonderful hospitality...and congratulations on your Persona, Pinkie Pie."
With that, Celestia walked towards the library door. Twilight opened it for her and closed it as she left.
"...So now what do we do?" Rainbow asked.
"It's getting late," Rarity said. "I shall retire to my home for the night. We'll plan our next course of action tomorrow at the barn, just like always."
The others voiced their agreements. After saying their goodbyes, everyone left the library that didn't live there...except for Pinkie Pie. She seemed a bit hesitant to leave.
"Are you all right, Pinkie?" Twilight asked. "You were awfully quiet this whole time."
Pinkie nodded, but her expression was rather forlorn. She sighed deeply. "Do you mind if I stay over here for tonight?"
Twilight seemed taken aback for a moment, but she smiled gently and nodded. "As long as your antics don't wake me up too early, you're welcome to stay as long as you like."
Pinkie cheered up slightly. As the moon rose in the sky, so did her spirits.
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So is Pinkie the Sensor of the group? Also, Celestia and Luna raining down fury was badass!
Now Celestia and Luna have to get their personas now.
...the sensor can give HEAT RISER?